Making Children's Books Come Alive

A Round-up of Activities and Books to Celebrate Women’s History Month

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This particular round-up of book reviews, activities and resources are especially near-and-dear to my heart because I am focusing on the fact that March is Women’s History Month.

The 2019 National Women’s History is Visionary Women: Champions of Peace & Nonviolence.

This year we honor women who have led efforts to end war, violence, and injustice and pioneered the use of nonviolence to change society. These Honorees embraced the fact that the means determine the ends and so developed nonviolent methods to ensure just and peaceful results.

For generations, women have resolved conflicts in their homes, schools, and communities. They have rejected violence as counterproductive and stressed the need to restore respect, establish justice, and reduce the causes of conflict as the surest way to peace. From legal defense and public education to direct action and civil disobedience, women have expanded the American tradition of using inclusive, democratic and active means to reduce violence, achieve peace, and promote the common good.

From women’s rights and racial justice to disarmament and gun control, the drive for nonviolent change has been championed by visionary women. These women consciously built supportive, nonviolent alternatives and loving communities as well as advocating change. They have given voice to the unrepresented and hope to victims of violence and those who dream of a peaceful world. Learn more about this celebration and initiate at NWHP.org

A Round-up of Activities and Books to Celebrate Women’s History Month

March 8th is celebrated as International Women‘s Day and Kitaab World has compiled a list of titles that celebrate stories of girls and women to inspire all of us to reach our highest potential.

Help Chronicle Books Keep Women’s History Month going with stories by and about inspiring women—both real and celestial—including the mighty goddesses of Legendary Ladies.

From the beloved author and artist behind Bad Girls Throughout History comes this lushly illustrated book of goddesses from around the world. Aphrodite, the Greek goddess whose love overcame mortality. Mazu, the Chinese deity who safely guides travelers home. Lakshmi, the Hindu provider of fortune and prosperity. These powerful deities and many more are celebrated in gorgeous artwork and enlightening essays that explore the feminine divine and encourage readers to empower themselves. Ann Shen’s signature watercolors make Legendary Ladies a unique, gift-worthy homage to the mighty women within. Grab your copy on the Chronicle Books site or on Amazon.

Something To Do: A Girl Power Coloring Book for all ages: RealGirls Revolution!

Terri Birnbaum’s The RealGirls Revolution was created out of her frustration that modern dolls and princesses didn’t reflect the diversity and uniqueness that makes women beautiful in all shapes and sizes. Cofounded with her tween and teen daughters, Terri enlisted the help of talented artists to create visual alternatives to stereotyped princesses and dolls.

The RealGirls Revolutions was born.

“Our book, RealGirls, is a 50-page illustrated coloring book created by many artists of diverse cultures and ethnicities working to fight stereotypes and generalizations by making visible what isn’t shown in our mainstream popular culture: the unique and beautiful qualities in the myriad girls that exist in reality.”

ForGood is on a mission to provide girls with images they can identify with so that they might feel empowered to remain proud and confident. Terri’s tween-aged daughters, Evelyn and Lydia, felt there needed to be an alternative to representations of princesses and dolls, so they spent six years producing a coloring book that celebrates our differences.

RealGirls is giving $100 each month to an organization that supports girls. Please help Terri and her RealGirls team by sending your suggestions to terri(at) realgirlsrevolution (dot) org. Each month we will list the charity and the person who suggested it on the RG website.

The bottom line is that, though any sort of color makes me giddy, this book is so much more. Embedded in each illustration are real stories, real hopes, and real aspirations, put onto the pages with the hope that girls everywhere might see an image they can identify with.

About Terri

Terri and her daughters are honored to have partnered with Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, Helping Hands Foundation, National Down Syndrome Society, Lucky Fin Project, and The Cleft Lip & Palate Foundation of Smiles, to feature girls they recommended.

Did you know that 70% of all kids quit organized sports by the age of 13, with girls quitting at 6x the rate of boys?

Alison Foley, former Boston College’s Women’s Head Soccer Coach and current CEO of Foley Athletic Advising, and Mia Wenjen, a parenting blogger at PragmaticMom.com, help coaches — both parent volunteer and professional — crack the code of how to keep girls in sports. When these two ambitious moms joined forces, the result was an information-packed guidebook on how parents and coaches can work to keep their girls in the game.

As a mother of two daughters who played a lot of sports, Mia provides personal accounts to illustrate issues discussed throughout the book. Alison, also a mother of a young female athlete, has hands-on advice from coaching young women professionally for more than two decades.

Volunteer parents and experienced coaches alike will find invaluable advice on creating a successful team that motivates girls to stay in sports beyond the middle school years. Twenty-two chapters cover major issues, including how to pick captains, the importance of growth mindset, issues around body image and puberty, as well as the challenges of coaching your own daughter.

In addition, fifteen professional coaches from a range of sports, including former Olympian athletes, give their advice on what girls need from a coach to allow them to flourish in sports, and most importantly, have fun. This is a hands-on manual to help coaches keep girls in sports! Grab your copy on the AudreyPress.com website or on Amazon.